Sunday, February 13, 2022

Bill Crawford: GOP Flubs Legitimate Political Discourse

 “Legitimate political discourse” – remember those three words. They will be with us for a while.

They were officially uttered by the Republican National Committee (RNC) in a resolution to censure two Republican U.S. Representatives who have dared to serve on the House January 6th Select Committee looking into the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol following the 2020 presidential election.

The lengthy resolution that condemns Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their service and actions on the committee reads in part:

“WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes…”

The response to calling the January 6th attack on the Capitol “legitimate political discourse” drew prompt response, even from some top Republicans.

“We all were here. We saw what happened," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next. That's what it was.”

The censure resolution also said the RNC “shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party.”

It was highly unusual for the RNC to censure two sitting Republican members of Congress. It was unprecedented for the party to cease supporting them. Even McConnell criticized that move. “The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority,” he said. “That's not the job of the RNC.” 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called it “a sad day” when Republicans are “punished just for expressing your beliefs, standing on principle, and refusing to tell blatant lies." Senate GOP Whip John Thune of South Dakota called the resolution "not a constructive move."

Days after the voice vote, the RNC sought to clarify what the resolution meant. The RNC claimed “legitimate political discourse” referred only to people who did not commit violent acts on January 6th, though the resolution itself made no such distinction.

But by then the fox was already in the hen house. And, there were at least three serious consequences from that. 

First, it made party political leaders look stupid. You can’t admire “legitimate political discourse” on the one hand then censure members for legitimate nonconforming political discourse on the other. 

Second, it caused friction within the party when unity is needed heading into mid-term elections. “Why are we talking about this resolution?” said GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas. “Why aren’t Republicans talking about the failures of the Biden administration?”

Third, it opened the door for violent political acts the party regularly condemns to be portrayed as legitimate, e.g. the violence-ridden George Floyd protests in Portland, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. You can’t claim to be the law and order party in one case but not the other. 

Hmmm.

Every which way you look at it, Republicans flubbed legitimate political discourse. 

“The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you” – Matthew 12:37.

Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.


35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Attack ? All I saw was a guy wearing buffalo horns leading a bunch of people armed with cell phones. Were ANY of these "attackers" actually armed ?

Anonymous said...

Every last me of them should have been shot.

Anonymous said...

@10:55am - Yeah, just a few tourists. Big ole nothingburger.

Anonymous said...

The only intelligent course for the Republican party is to disown the events of January 6th. As a legitimate political party they cannot be saddled with such a stupid fiasco out of blind support for an individual like Trump whose only principles are personal. It was a stupid, stupid, effort to disrupt legitimate political process and there is no defending it especially since it's the democrat dream to forever associate the GOP as the instigators. Choose your battles wisely Repubs, and know when to back away. There will be other fights to come.

Anonymous said...

Attack? Insurrection? That would imply some sort of well thought out plan with logistical support and rehearsals of “actions on the objective”. I was there that day freezing my butt off with 500,000 other patriots/grandparents (average age probably above military retirement age). I guess I was not “in the know” that day cause no one briefed me on “the plan”. Yea I saw the instigators (wearing their ranger joe outfits) trying to “lead the way” but most of us didn’t fall for that rabble rousing and just looked at them like they were crazy.

Anonymous said...

"Legitimate discourse" and "Bill Crawford" should never be combined in any discussion.

Anonymous said...

If that was an insurrection no wonder the Democrats are confident they can get away with their silent coup.

Anonymous said...

Good God, what a bloviating bunch of nothing. Crawford had to dig deep to make up story about.....wtf?

Anonymous said...

10:55 If that's all you saw, you weren't watching and are working at staying deliberately ignorant!

You must have seen only TV the first entry of those strolling into the front doors while the battle still raged outside.

You missed the Capitol police being beaten with flag poles, barricades and sprayed with pepper spray. You missed the noose going up for Pence and others. And, you paid no attention whatsoever of the attire and weaponry of far too many in mob outside.

You missed the doors and windows of an historic building being broken and locked offices being broken into and items stolen. You missed antiques being damaged in the need to barricade the mob. You missed the trampling and trash on the floors that pitted and cracked irreplaceable marble and missed knowing the millions of dollars in damage figures that didn't allow for all the irreplaceable.
And you obviously have never, ever toured our Capitol or you'd have respect for the building and it's history.
You'd understand that inside alone can't accomodate a mob of people especially after they tromped on the landscaping and walked down streets with trash and likely oil to get there. They weren't wiping their feet and using good manners. They were acting like they were born in a barn!

Are you in a padded cell somewhere and only see things briefly when let out for fresh air?

Does your own home look like a dump and you just toss things everywhere and push anything in your way aside? You have fights in the rooms and treat your home like a cheap bar?

We are likely to lose our freedoms come midterm and become a dictatorship or at best, an oligarchy like Russia. You really ought to see how the deaths of democracies and republics play out. Only the psychopaths and sociopaths " muscle" in that crowd will be useful in the new regime and they'll be "rewarded" only with running prisons and exterminating " enemies" and whatever spoils they can take in the immediate aftermath. They won't be able to care for what rewards they receive for long... shirtsleeves back to shirtsleeves.
And, those who think yourselves immune because you have a few million and assets with find those before you that you are mistaken. Your stuff will go to the higher ups in " the party"...the Lindells and Bannons and McCarthys et.al. You are not essential to a new regime especially if you are retired.

You don't even know enough about Mississippi history to know that those who survived well after the Civil War had collaborated with the Yankees or had family or friends among prominent Yankees.

Fools! It's how it's played out history since Greece fell and Caesar marched into Rome! You imagine a future that that you ought to know will not exist!

Anonymous said...

Crawtirds buddy Michael Guest voted for the January 6 commission

Anonymous said...

10:55 - Evidently you have not watched all the available video footage of that day.

Anonymous said...

11:54 Yeah, just like the Democrats denounced Black Lives Matter and $500M in damage their riots caused.

Kamala Harris took to Twitter to raise bail money for the few BLM rioters who got arrested. It is hard to imagine the meltdown if Republican leaders were out campaigning for funds to release those arrested on Jan 6.

Anonymous said...

1:41 That's the problem, don't try to out democrat the democrats. Of course they can't divorce themselves from their space cadet radical base. Don't follow them down the path of radical self-destruction just to fight them. Most people are searching for sanity not civil war. Let them destroy themselves and they will. Simply don't pour any more fuel on the Democrats January 6 bonfire.

Anonymous said...

@1:12

Please expound more on "We are likely to lose our freedoms come midterm and become a dictatorship or at best, an oligarchy".

Anonymous said...

C’mon January 6th is all they have and they’ll continue to cry about it. They seem to forget all the destruction and chaos they caused in D.C. and across the country. When you bring up all that, liberals get really quiet and can’t seem to remember any other riots from BLM, Antifa, or the rest of the paid for protests.

Anonymous said...

The Republican Party would rather watch this country burn than admit to any of their errors. They have been overrun by the fringe group of Donald Trump worshipping deplorables who fantasize of civil war.

Anonymous said...

Donald Trump did more damage to the Republican Party in four years than Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama could ever dream of doing in a lifetime.

Anonymous said...

At 1:12, you need to learn when to stop typing.

You did a decent job making your point & explaining your passions
in your opening paragraph.

But most folks are not going to read more than your first few sentences.

Anonymous said...

@2:23
PM and 7:46 PM
are the same person

Anonymous said...

@7:46 PM
But you read it all. Or did you not?

Anonymous said...

7:13, I fixed your typo.
"Donald Trump did more good for America in four years than Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama could ever dream of doing in a lifetime."

Anonymous said...

"Never let a crisis go to waste", Sal Alinsky and Democrat credo. This is all they have to harm the Republican party and they are going to exploit it as long as they can. Like is stated multiple times, the Democrats are silent on their politicians egging on the protests and burning & looting of cities during the George Floyd summer of riots. Or Maxine Watters telling people to harass Republicans. No one with a sane mind takes a two-faced Democrat serious. They are the epitome of do as I say, not as I do.

Anonymous said...

7:13 and 7:17 are both right

Anonymous said...

@7:17 AM

There’s no need for you to place a comma after Clinton.

Anonymous said...

I am not a Trump fan but people like 7:13 need therapy.

I cant imagine idolizing any politician, but anyone who can praise Joe Biden, and Hilary Clinton will immediately lose all credibility for objective reasoning skills.

Open your eyes.

Anonymous said...

Pretty soon, the Republicans will ban teachers from mentioning the events of January 6. They will come up with a stupid name for it that their base will eat up without a second thought.

Anonymous said...

Led like lemmings by their own government to make the rest of look like morons. It was planned out and executed by the FBI and Nancy. They took the bait.

Anonymous said...

Trump and his cronies would burn this country to the ground with a smile on their faces if they could rule over the ashes.

If there’s hope for this country, then he’ll never get elected to an office as high as dog catcher ever again.

Anonymous said...

@10:36

You do realize the Dem/Socialist party really is trying to "burn this country to the ground" as we speak....don't you ? No I guess you wouldn't would you .

Anonymous said...

10:36 : Soooooooo 4 dollar gas and 10 gallon of milk.......the loss of freedoms your thing ? Like Trump....hate Trump IDC. But at least acknowledge the current POTUS is far far worse and burning the country to the ground is exactly what they want.

Anonymous said...

2:40 and all similar hypocrits:

You either are for peaceful protest and opposed to violent and destructive protest or not.

You defenders of Jan 6th are trying to have it both ways. AND you seem to ignore that the extremist in the Democratic Party aren't calling the shots when it comes to Congress and never have.

You have, however, let your right wing extremists take over and even embrace the Neo Nazis and criminal gangs like Proud Boys and Hell's Angels.

And, there's a far cry from the opportunistic violence directed toward local buildings and clashing with other protesters and police, and targeting elected offices for death because you didn't like the outcome of an election and were duped into not accepting the reality.

And,even now ,after spending millions,petitioning the courts and holding recounts, the only "fraud" you've found were inconsequential to the outcome and done mostly by the GOP voters.

There is no ethical consistency. And, ignore that " they did the wrong thing so I can too" is the lame excuse given by the immature and stupid.

Anonymous said...

@2:38

"AND you seem to ignore that the extremist in the Democratic Party aren't calling the shots when it comes to Congress and never have."

Good grief, how in the world do you expect anyone to ever take you seriously posting a whopper like that ? Even HILLARY CLINTON admitted recently that the party has got to break up the influence the "extremist" now have on the party.

Anonymous said...

The Buffalo shamen or whatever he calls himself is a g-damn progressive liberal terd ! He was crying in jail because he couldn't get vegan food yah dopes ! He was a plant !

Anonymous said...

A failed politician, in the mold of Gil Carmichael, attempts to define 'Legitimate Political Discourse'.

Anonymous said...

1:12...What channel were you watching? You missed the parts where Capitol Cops were holding the doors open to the building as well as chambers for the visitors you call insurrectionists.

And you conclude by trying to comment on Lincoln's Unnecessary War.


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